DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Appliance shopping...

...is for the birds. We are in the market for a new washer and dryer. I'm pretty set on the Maytag EpicZ series front-loaders. Now starts the process of WHERE to buy. I'm thinking Home Depot because they have a 12 month same as cash deal, and I'm all about using them to save interest.

These new washing machines require special detergents and are prone to mildew in the door seal if you don't wipe it dry after each load -- more fun.

What I'm waffling about is the extended warranties. I usually don't buy them, but I wonder if they would be a good idea in the case of a washer and dryer. Thoughts?

I'll say this Michelle.

My wife and I got our front loaders at Best Buy and they delivered them with a big dent on the side of the washer. Well, we didn't know it was dented at first because the delivery guys slapped one of the big stickers OVER the dent. Needless to say, we were mad, got the runaround from Best Buy, gave them a big hassle, and got our money refunded.

We ended up going to HH Gregg and got a GREAT deal (actually paying less than Best Buy and getting more), and they delivered the next day (a Sunday). We got TWO years same as cash if we opened an HH Gregg card, so we pay something like 85 bucks a month. That's actually more than we have to, but we're doing that on purpose so we definitely have it paid off before any interest kicks in.

I believe we were able to talk them into giving us the extended warranty for free as a further incentive to get us away from going anywhere else. Most of the time, extended warranties are for the birds, and things like washers/dryers usually are pretty solid for a number of years. If they're going to have problems, it's my guess the problems would start to fester well beyond the time of the warranty.

However, I'm no expert.

well, if you decide on a place to buy from, and you have the money up front, definitely go to giant eagle first and purchase a gift card for that particular store, if they have that store. Every $50 you spend in gift cards you get .10cents off of your next fill up at get go gas stations. Same with groceries.

So if you spend $600 on the washer and dryer. thats $1.20/gallon off your next fill up.

I too am in the market for a washer and dryer, except ill be buying used off craigslist

I'm sure things like that happen regularly. I'm not the haggling type...I want to walk in to a store, point, set up delivery, pay, and leave. The quicker, the better for me. That's why I like to go in knowing what I want. The W/D each have a one year manufacture warranty, but with the washer having a built in water heater, I wonder about at least getting the ESP for it.

I used to be like that, Michelle. But, my wife absolutely REFUSES to pay full price for anything, and I've grown to be like that, too, especially with things that can be haggled for, like cars and appliances.

You make a good point, though, about the water heater. When you start throwing things like that into the mix, you may want to protect yourself.

I get good deals at Rex's but I am friends with a regional manager, so I get anything I buy there on discount. Matter of fact about a year ago we bought a new dryer, it was priced at $320, and I got it for $200 bucks which included tax.

Erik is out of town till mid July so I would offer my services since he would give you a discount but he isn't around. If your still looking then, let me know, he's working over by the Dayton mall now.

Thanks, I appreciate that, but our washing machine has developed a slow trickle from the bottom when you do a load of wash. Might be a simple fix, but these machines are fairly old and I think they've seen better days. We figure we may as well go for it.

I don't get the extended warranties.

In most cases, issues will be apparent quickly, and major issues within the first year can usually be dealt with by calling the manufacturer and expressing disappointment that something so expensive would have a major repair so soon, and get them to supply the parts free, and you just cover the labor.

Anyway, aside from the rare chance of getting a complete lemon, you shouldn't have any major issues.

Right. That's why I usually don't buy the warranties. But, $100 for three years isn't that bad...it would pay for itself in labor if there were to be a problem.

I would tend to agree that you need a new one, since where your leak is, the machine will probably have to be completely disassembled to just troubleshoot, though parts are normally cheap, the labor will kick ya in the butt.

I'll call my bud and see if he can do anything even though he's out of town, if he can and your interested I'll PM you, and if need be even will deliver them for ya.

Hey I'll be right around the block from you guys later today, maybe I'll stop by and say hi!

Cool, thanks. I'm heading out to Home Depot to look at the washer and dryer. Give us a call before you come by in case we aren't here...doing lots of crap today since Julie is on vacation.

No problem, I won't be there till later I have to drop off a treadmill for a friend of ours and lives on the opposite side of the main road witch connects to your road.

Called Erik, no can do he has to be there for me to get a discount for ya, plus when he gets back he's being moved to the Salem Ave store and I don't think you guys need to go over there. If you see something at home depot you like though and need or want it today, let me know, I can fit a washer in my blazer, just not both a washer and dryer, plus you won't have to pay their delivery charge, so take advantage if you can, and yes even though I have a few hairline fractures in one arm, I still can help you out if need be!

When my parents bought their house 4 years ago, it came with a brand new, industrial grade, high quality Maytag washer and drier. 6 months ago, they both died...within 4 loads of laundry.

My parents bought their new ones from Sears. In Cleveland, they had Sears brand washer and driers which lasted for over 10 years and were still going strong when we moved. And those things have seen some pretty brutal loads of laundry with all four family members playing sports. That's not to say the new ones will last as long though...nothing seems to last as long as it used to.

Bottom line, get the warranty depending on how long you plan on keeping them. I was shocked at how they died so quick seeing as how these were pretty expensive machines when they were new.

Awww, thanks. Actually, right now Home Depot is offering free delivery and they haul the old stuff away, so that works for me, and it's easier on the old backs (and arms).

Home Depot is 4 year warranty for $99. I think I'll do it for the washer and think about it for the dryer. They give you time to add it. Nothing lasts as long because it's all made in China now...even Maytag.

I work over at a HD out here in So Cal. Used to work over in the appliance department. A couple of quick comments about your purchase. Changing from a top loader to a front loader, there are a couple of differences.
One, length of washing time. The washer and dryer will take closer to using the same amount of time, however it is because the washer does take longer per cycle.
Second, the height of the washer is much lower, making it a bit of a strain on the back constantly going in and out of it. They do sell pedestals that will make your washer higher and make it easier on your back. Personally, I would just build my own (much cheaper).
Third, you are right about the build up of water at the bottom of the seal. You could either dry it, or you could run an extra cycle (without clothes) and just put some bleach into it. That will kill any mildew.
Other than that, right now HD has 10% off all appliances (I believe it ends Wednesday). If you do go to HD, ask them about any water saver rebates. Out here, we can get another $100 back for water, and another $50 for gas savings. It all adds up!
As for warranties, it is a total crapshoot. It is always good to have in case of problems, but who knows if there is going to be any problems. I will say this, Maytag was bought out by Whirlpool a little over a year ago. From what I have seen, the Whirlpool products are not made quite as well as the Maytags were. So in all honesty, I would say to take the warranty. It would not hurt. And if you do get the warranty, keep all your paperwork together and in a safe place, so if anything does happen, you will have it on hand.
And yes, the first year is under manufacturer warranty, parts and labor.

I will say this as we have front loaders:

1) Get the pedestals (or make your own). That comes pretty close to eliminating the bending problem and you can store stuff in the pedestals;

2) You can fit so much in the front loaders. We used to do 4 loads of laundry a week (2 of lights, 2 of darks). Now we do 2 (1 of each), and there's room to spare. And, our water bill has gone down. It wasn't a lot, but our water bill was never super high to begin with.

3) Do NOT use regular laundry detergent. You get what's called the "high efficiency" stuff. I'm not sure if it's more expensive or not (we get the huge industrial sized stuff at BJs), but if you use the regular stuff, you can run into problems. And, we only use half of what's called for with the high efficiency stuff and our clothes get cleaned just fine.

4) The front loaders we have have self-cleaning cycles that you can run, so that should help with any mildew problems, etc.

5) We've had ours for about 2 years and have so far (knock on wood) had 0 problems with any leaking or anything. The biggest problem we've had is, shall I say, user error when I put in a t-shirt that I'd used to clean up a bunch of wax that was around the base of a toilet. That took a while to scrape out of the dryer.

Just a note about Whirlpool owning Maytag:

The companies do fall under the same umbrella but are run independently. So you'd still have the same Maytag quality that you would have had before Whirlpool bought them. Trust me, I work for another Whirlpool Corp. company...KitchenAid.

Thanks, mo! I'll ask about the water saver rebate, but I don't see anything about it online. And, we have electric appliances, so the gas rebate doesn't apply to us.

I'm going to skip the pedestals for now...I figure they can be added later if we want them, correct? Also, if I build my own I probably void any warranty, so I'll skip that part, but it's a good plan for once it's out of warranty.

Thanks, I've just seen differences in the dryers and refrigerators since Maytag was taken over. The washers, ranges, dishwashers etc, have not changed at all.

I am so glad I live in a small town. We don't buy "big" stuff at the big box stores - we do it locally. What do we get for our money? Well, we may spend an extra 5% to buy what ever it is we get, but we also get free delivery ALL the time, they come out and remove the old, install the new, show us how to use it (I'm talking t.v. here), and if there's any problems, we call them, and they come back out, or often times (t.v. ) they tell us on the phone. Not the manufacturer, the retailer.

A few years ago I got a notice in the mail that our microwave had a recall, The notice said "uninstall your microwave, take it to where you bought it. It will be repaired."

So, I call the local place and what do I get? "Yeah, we heard about that. When can we come out and get the microwave? We'll uninstall it, fix it, and put it back up." I said well, the house is open.

When I got home from work that day the microwave had been removed, fixed, and replaced. No charge. Try that with Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, or anywhere else.

Threads like this are just one more reason I love living in a small town. No price shopping, no haggling. And, no hassles.

The people working at HH GREG will hound you to the max!

They may have some good deals...just be carefull..it is not aways a good experience when you are just visiting to see what they have.

Thanks. I'm having my new machines delivered Tuesday.

OH I'm too late!!!!!

I have a Maytag Neptune and I would highly reccomend it to anyone. I was looking for a front loader too but all the things allready mentioned had me nervous. I saw this Maytag, a top loader but with no center post and a different rotation than a standard machine. It uses a max of 13.5 gallons for a complete cycle, does the 10,000 RPM spin thing to save on drying time. It does twist up the clothes a little much, but it has never damaged anything.

Well, I hope you enjoy what you get and I hope it lasts you.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but I recently bought a nice higher end set for one of my rental homes here. Stackable front loaders (we don't stack them, but could). I bought LG series from Home Depot. There were a couple things I looked for. First was capacity, and the LG's had a bigger capacity than most of the standard top loaders (washers).

The LG had a 4.2 cu/ft capacity and the nice thing about the front loader was that the RPM was high which increases efficiency in both washing and later for drying. Higher RPM means less water in your clothes to dry. It also uses less water. Less water + Less drying time = a lot of $$$ saved over the course of the life of the machine and less wear and tear on your clothes cause of the front loading.

Another nice thing was the LG series came with a 7 year warranty instead of a 1 year warranty. Not a huge deal breaker, but a nice incentive non-the-less. The biggest problem I have with the warranty is who they send when it breaks. I'm not a fan of the place that comes out to fix the appliances here, so the extended warranty means less to me. If you have a reliable warranty repair place nearby, then you'll get more bang for your buck.